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What are you reading? (January 2012)

H

Heel

Member
Narag said:
I'd say so. It's a fun romp and not that hard of a read.
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Thanks. I'll probably be reading it this month sometime.

I have these checked out at the moment:

The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov
Burning Chrome by William Gibson (A collection of short stories that Gibson recommends reading before Neuromancer, which seems to come highly recommended)
 
K

Karakand

Member
Heel said:
I might have to look to you guys for some guidance down the road. I've done some research to find books that are considered essential reading, but a lot of them seem to be so dense and unfriendly for a beginner reader. By that I mean someone getting their feet wet, not their reading comprehension. I like to think I'm a semi-intelligent guy, haha.
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A lot of the greats also wrote novellas and short stories. Ulysses is probably too much for you atm, but Dubliners certainly isn't.

If we were to consider reading good book akin to riding a bicycle, reading Snow Crash would be like trying to learn how to ride a bike by driving an all-terrain vehicle in your backyard, which is flat, and 400 square feet at the most.
 
C

Clever Pun

Member
My goodreads challenge for the year is 30, but mostly because I don't like to feel discouraged to pick up a huge book by setting a really high goal of a book a week or more. It's not fair to expect to read something like The Tale of Genji that fast and I don't want to be discouraged from doing so! Still, if this year is anything like last I'll probably hit 50 to 60 books including audiobooks.

Anyway, I finished The Moon is a Harsh Mistress last week and I'm currently 86% of the way through The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which I'm really enjoying.

Up next will be Catch-22 if it arrives from the library in time, or The Borrowers if it doesn't.

Karakand said:
A lot of the greats also wrote novellas and short stories. Ulysses is probably too much for you atm, but Dubliners certainly isn't.
Click to expand...

I'm no Joyce expert, but I can say (as someone who was intimidated by his other works) Dubliners is a great place to start and can be thoroughly enjoyed without reference, annotation, master's degree, etc.
 
K

Keen

Aliens ate my babysitter
Also joined Goodreads and set a target of 80 books. This is hugely dependent on what kind of job, if any, I get after graduating in the spring.

One book down so far (Blood Rites by Jim Butcher). Now on Proven Guilty, also by Jim Butcher.



heh, why is there a google ad for my alma mater (university of san diego)?
 
C

coldvein

Banned
i hope to read a jim butcher book one day, but i have this thing about reading books with appalling covers..i just can't read them. WAIT. REVELATION. i can download it on my brand new nook.

so guys, which jim butcher book should i read first? there's a series, right?
 
K

Keen

Aliens ate my babysitter
coldvein said:
i hope to read a jim butcher book one day, but i have this thing about reading books with appalling covers..i just can't read them. WAIT. REVELATION. i can download it on my brand new nook.

so guys, which jim butcher book should i read first? there's a series, right?
Click to expand...

I'm using my iPad, so yeah, problem solved!


Storm Front is the first.
 
C

coldvein

Banned
my last post was really just meant to be another "trash jim butcher covers" post but i genuinely had a small epiphany during the middle of typing it. i can now read "books" that don't even have covers. i knew this nook must be good for something..
 
S

Scythian Empire

Member
jude-the-obscure-by-thomas-hardy.jpg


Only about 45 pages in (started in last night) but I'm already smitten and blown away by the detail in the characters. I can't put it down!
 
M

Minimaul

Member
Heel said:
I've never been a huge reader in life.

I decided this year I'm going to make an effort to "catch the bug" and read more than I ever have.
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This was me last year. I started with a goal of 24 books, 2-3 months in I updated it to 52 because I was reading 4-8 books a month. My average slowed down over the months, to where I was reading 2-3 a month in December. It feels good to read and when you really get into it it's easy to make the time. Sign up on Goodreads, add people and find books that way. You can organize your books to what you want to read, to-buy, pretty much anyway that works for you to keep track. It helped me find all kinds of books that I want to and have read, from classics to newer stuff and even non-fiction.

Anyway.

My goal last year was 24, then 52. I ended up with 58. This year I'm setting it at 24 because 2 a month is a solid average for me with my current schedule. I can dive into longer books if I want and not feel rushed and I can also polish off a shorter one in a day or two if I feel like it as well. It's a nice even pace for me.

Currently reading How To Read A Book and Children of the Sky.

Here is my Goodreads. I added a person or two already...
 
A

Ashes

Banned
nakedsushi said:
Oh no, really? I've read good things about her and her story. I guess I'll give it a try and won't be ashamed to stop halfway if I don't like it.
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it's very good. leading female rather than heroine though. mild spoiler:
that [cyan's comment] is a weird thing to say considering what happens to her
 
M

Mastadon

Banned
My Goodreads is here. Add away :)

Just finished Blood Meridian. Hard read to be honest but ended up really enjoying it. The ending was superb. Now starting on:

2G4SC.jpg


Don't really know much about it, so hoping it's good. Has anyone read it?
 
S

ShinobiFist

Banned
I got this as a gift today(I do have the E-Books) :) looking forward to it once I get done with 11/22/63(Very good so far)
a8t3J.jpg


BTW, thanks GAF for the Goodreads site. 2012 goal is 40 books, let's go!Add me :)
 
S

survivor

Banned
ShinobiFist said:
I got this as a gift today(I do have the E-Books) :) looking forward to it once I get done with 11/22/63(Very good so far)
http://i.imgur.com/a8t3J.jpg[IMG]

BTW, thanks GAF for the Goodreads site. 2012 goal is 40 books, let's go![url=http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7321523-frankie]Add me :)[/url][/QUOTE]

I have that same boxset. Pretty great trilogy. Try to read the other stand alone Mistborn novel after you are done. It has better characters and better action scenes.
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C

coldvein

Banned
just finished BRO by Vladimir Sorokin. book one of a trilogy.

kinda slow at times, but i liked it. basic story - a group of beings made of light who created the universe are reawakened in the early 1900s by the falling to earth of a giant ice meteor in siberia. scattered all over the earth, they must seek eachother out using "heart vibrations" in order to complete their ultimate goal: to destroy earth and restore order to the universe.
 
C

Clever Pun

Member
survivor said:
Oh wow I forgot about the book club. Gonna start on it right after I'm done with East of Eden.
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East of Eden is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. It always surprises me that Grapes of Wrath gets all the attention because East of Eden is so much better. How are you liking it so far?
 
W

W1SSY

Member
I started to read The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. This will be the second time I have read it. I am trying to get through the series so I remember everything for when the new book comes out later this month. I really love his books that I have read so far but have kind of stayed away from reading the Sharpe and Starbuck series.
 
S

Seanspeed

Banned
Mastadon said:
Now starting on:

2G4SC.jpg


Don't really know much about it, so hoping it's good. Has anyone read it?
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Just finished it the other day. It was good, but I didn't love it as much as everybody else here seemed to. I think the main thing I'll remember about it is Fermin.

I just started The Name of the Wind. Liking it so far. Laughed very hard when he told the story about getting an arrow in the knee. lol
 
Y

ymmv

Banned
Now reading:

51b%2BsRwY9pL._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg


It's a second attempt. I started reading this a couple of years ago but stopped around page 40 because I disliked the writing style so much. Now I'm much further along but I've also realized I've seen the movie adaption of this book (Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate" starring Johnny Depp). It doesn't matter so far, because the book is a lot richer.
 
A

Attackthebase

Member
I just finished Catching Fire. I won't have time to read anything of substance before school starts, so I'm stuck waiting to read Mockingjay until after the semester.

I'll probably read the six Batman comics (the Grant Morrison print) before school begins.
 
S

severin

Member
162060_110047622361053_3024792_n.jpg


About 100 pages in. A lot more backstory then i bargained for but still very entertaining and also very well written.
 
K

Krispy

Member
The Forge Of God by Greg Bear. I just read Halo Primordium by him and thought I'd check out his other work. Pretty good so far.
 
K

kinn

Member
Ashes1396 said:
gotta dream big... cause you never know...
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I know but I set mnyself to read 20 last year and I didnt reach that. So being a little conservative with my target this year.

Anyway, Gaf how much time do you spend reading compared to gaming? Is it like a 50/50 split or what?

Kind of find it hard to decide what to do sometimes. Do a bit of reading or some iPad/handheld gaming before bed for instance.
 
N

nakedsushi

Member
kinn said:
Anyway, Gaf how much time do you spend reading compared to gaming? Is it like a 50/50 split or what?

Kind of find it hard to decide what to do sometimes. Do a bit of reading or some iPad/handheld gaming before bed for instance.
Click to expand...

I'd say 80/20 reading/gaming for me. Sometimes it varies. When I get really into a game, it might go to 40/60. But most of the time, if I have some free time, I'll pick up my Kindle instead of booting up a game. But I do find that once I start a game, I play for a longer period of time than if I were reading.
 
C

coldvein

Banned
kinn said:
I know but I set mnyself to read 20 last year and I didnt reach that. So being a little conservative with my target this year.

Anyway, Gaf how much time do you spend reading compared to gaming? Is it like a 50/50 split or what?

Kind of find it hard to decide what to do sometimes. Do a bit of reading or some iPad/handheld gaming before bed for instance.
Click to expand...

totally varies for me. 70/30, reading over gaming would be ideal. right now it's more gaming tho.
 
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